Kobe to Lakers: trade me, beyotches*

[GettnHuge 2]

ESPN.com news services

 

Kobe Bryant isn't happy with the Lakers' direction and wants Jerry West back in Los Angeles to fix things.

 

*Bryant told ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher that he wants the Lakers to bring West back to the organization

and give him full authority. If the Lakers don't want to do that, Bryant said he wants to be traded.

 

Bryant is frustrated that the team has not made any significant moves since it re-signed him.

 

"I want to see us get to a contending level," he told The Los Angeles Times. "I want to see us become a

championship contender. It's been a frustrating process for me and I'm sure it's been a frustrating process for

all Laker fans. I'm just hoping we can get to that level. I'm still frustrated. I'm waiting for them to make some changes."

 

Mitch Kupchak is the current Lakers general manager.

[Vikings4ever 550]

Trade him to Miami.

[ZeroTolerance 584]

Trade him to Atlanta.

[joneo 557]

Lakers should trade for Shaq.

[Strike 5,565]

Lakers should trade for Shaq.

 

Yeah, Shaq looked great this year

[devin952 1]

trade him to AFRICA!

[Voltaire 5,317]

I thought Kobe knew when he signed his contract that the Lakers could only afford Washington Generals rejects to fill out the roster.

[JT 137]

I thought Kobe knew when he signed his contract that the Lakers could only afford Washington Generals rejects to fill out the roster.

 

Here's a list of the top 25 NBA salaries for the past season:

 

1. Kevin Garnett Minnesota $21,000,000

2. Allan Houston New York $20,718,750

3. Michael Finley Dallas / SA $20,154,625

4. Shaquille O'Neal Miami $20,000,000

5. Chris Webber Phil / Detroit $18,307,008

6. Allen Iverson Denver $18,281,250

7. Jason Kidd New Jersey $18,084,000

-. Jermaine O'Neal Indiana

9. Kobe Bryant LA Lakers $17,718,750

10. Tim Duncan San Antonio $17,429,671

11. Brian Grant LAL / Boston $17,370,625

12. Stephon Marbury New York $17,275,781

13. Grant Hill Orlando $16,901,500

-. Tracy McGrady Houston

15. Jalen Rose NY / Phoenix $16,040,000

16. Eddie Jones Memphis / Miami $15,680,000

-. Ben Wallace Chicago

18. Larry Hughes Cleveland $15,363,012

19. Antawn Jamison Washington $15,101,626

-. Vince Carter New Jersey

-. Dirk Nowitzki Dallas

-. Paul Pierce Boston

 

 

Hard to look at some of those names and say Bryant doesn't earn his. And teams like Dallas, San Antonio, Miami, Detroit and Chicago have done a far better job fitting quality complimentary players around their highly paid stars (or, in some cases, 'highly paid stiffs').

[BMoney 0]

jalen rose is still in the nba?

[JT 137]

jalen rose is still in the nba?

 

Theoretically.

[Ravens 03 0]

NY has quite the backcourt.

 

 

Houston & Starburry = $37+ million down the toilet

[JT 137]

NY has quite the backcourt.

Houston & Starburry = $37+ million down the toilet

 

Think that's bad? Steve Francis is tied for 23rd (Baron Davis and Shawn Marion) at $15,070,000.

 

Make that $52 mil + being flushed.

[Foamfinger 0]

Kobe probably realized that he doesn't make the players around him better. His answer? Don't be a better team player, just surround him with better players. I'm going to guess he only wants to be traded to Phoenix, Dallas or San Antonio

[TommyGavin 790]

Monkeyball

[GettnHuge 2]

Houston is finally off the books

 

Guaranteed contracts ruin nba+mlb

[Ravens 03 0]

 

Guaranteed contracts ruin nba+mlb

 

 

[Frank M 181]

NY has quite the backcourt.

Houston & Starburry = $37+ million down the toilet

 

Larry Hughes is $15 mil worth of dead weight for the Cavs.

[RicemanX 20]

amazing that FInley is the highest paid Spur

[JT 137]

Larry Hughes is $15 mil worth of dead weight for the Cavs.

 

Hughes' defense on Billups is what has kept Cleveland with a shot at beating Detroit the last two years.

[KSB2424 3,148]

A couple things:

 

1. Kobe asked for his own team, he had illusions of grandeur that he could carry a team by himself w/o another star. And now when he realizes he cannot, well let's blame everyone but himself.

 

2. Lakers supporting cast is equal to, if not better than the Cavs supporting cast. Yes I realize the West is better than the East......just sayin'

 

3. People used to kill to play for the Lakers, only rarely to you hear of other stars wanting to go their since it has been the "Kobe Show". Would you want to play on a team with him, when your other options in the league are Nash/LeBron/Wade ect.? Guys who share the ball and are team players.

[dirty dug 0]

2. Lakers supporting cast is equal to, if not better than the Cavs supporting cast. Yes I realize the West is better than the East......just sayin'

 

That is highly debatable.

 

Ilgauskas alone has more All Star appearances than any Laker not named Kobe Bryant.

 

Ilgauskas

Hughes

Snow

Varejao

Gooden

 

Odom

Kwame

Parker

Walton

Bynum

 

I'd take the Cavs cast over the Lakers cast every day of the week.

[JT 137]

A couple things:

 

 

2. Lakers supporting cast is equal to, if not better than the Cavs supporting cast. Yes I realize the West is better than the East......just sayin'

 

 

 

Odom is the only Laker other than Bryant that would start in Cleveland.

[KSB2424 3,148]

Chris Mihm will be back with LA next season, who is not a bad NBA player at all and is a 7-footer. A Mihm/Bynum/Kwame front line with Odom/Walton on the wings is not as bad a supporting cast as everyone makes it out to be. Yeah they need some help at the point, even thought Farmar may end up being an okay NBA player, but it is not the "chopped liver" that everyone is screaming about. Not to mention a HOF coach in Phil Jackson.

 

With that said, LA needs to find a way to get J-Kidd back out to California for his last hurrah. I would love to see him on the Lakers.

[Strike 5,565]

 

With that said, LA needs to find a way to get J-Kidd back out to California for his last hurrah. I would love to see him on the Lakers.

 

If this happens I will kill myself. Our biggest problem last year was noone could hit an open shot when Kobe got them a wide open look. So to solve that let's bring in a guy who shoots less than 40% overall and less than 30% from 3 in the playoffs.

[wiffleball 4,790]

Isn't Jerry West too busy being the Mayor of Quohog to run the Lakers?

[KSB2424 3,148]

If this happens I will kill myself. Our biggest problem last year was noone could hit an open shot when Kobe got them a wide open look. So to solve that let's bring in a guy who shoots less than 40% overall and less than 30% from 3 in the playoffs.

 

So you would rather have Jason Kapono than Jason Kidd?

[Strike 5,565]

So you would rather have Jason Kapono that Jason Kidd?

 

Actually I would. He'd fit the triangle better than Kidd that's for sure, and he can hit an outside shot. He'd also cost a hell of a lot less.

[GettnHuge 2]

no mention of the Caron butler for Kwame Brown trade?

that was worse than the Shaq deal IMHO. at least Butler-Odom can put up numbers.